


11:11

by noussommeslessquelettes



Series: Throwback Playlist - A High School Klance AU [4]
Category: Voltron: Legendary Defender
Genre: Alternate Universe - High School, Alternate Universe - Modern Setting, Angst, Angst with a Happy Ending, Aromantic Asexual Pidge | Katie Holt, Asexual Pidge | Katie Holt, Bisexual Lance (Voltron), Eventual Happy Ending, Female Pronouns for Pidge | Katie Holt, Gay Keith (Voltron), House Party, Implied/Referenced Underage Sex, Laith, Lance (Voltron) Has ADHD, M/M, Minor Keith/Male OC, Minor Plaxance, Mutual Pining, POV Lance (Voltron), Pining, Pining Keith (Voltron), Pining Lance (Voltron), Post-Break Up, Pre-Relationship, Slow Burn, Trans Female Pidge | Katie Holt, Underage Drinking, klance
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-11-04
Updated: 2017-11-04
Packaged: 2019-01-29 13:40:25
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 8,349
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/12632187
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/noussommeslessquelettes/pseuds/noussommeslessquelettes
Summary: Lance’s smugness faltered a touch. “Wait, you were looking for me?”The emphatic denial was half-formed across Keith’s lips before it fell flat with a sigh. “This is really embarrassing, just… promise me you won’t laugh, okay?”Lance leaned a hip into the counter, his smile dropping quickly in the face of Keith’s apprehension. “I… uhh…”(High school AU) Not twelve hours into summer vacation, Lance already has his heart broken twice.





	11:11

**Author's Note:**

> Hey there, welcome back to Throwback Playlist! Can y’all believe we’re already at part 4/6? I certainly can’t. I feel like it was just yesterday I was uploading the first part, not even dreaming that anyone would want a continuation, and look at us now!
> 
> (if you haven’t checked out the previous parts to this fic please do!!! There is continuity and a plot and I feel like I’m beating a dead horse saying this for the third time but they bro-smooch [totally platonic, or so they think~], and then slow burn happens. Don’t u just love high school drama? The Best)
> 
> I was gonna save this for the 6th part (because I’m a big sap and I wanted to keep it under wraps as best I could), but holy fuck, thank you guys all so much for the reception and support for this series. When I get the AO3 Kudo/comment emails and see the same names I’ve seen since the first fic, or see people’s names in the kudos for multiple works… like dam, y’all really kno how to make a bitch cry? Legit, real talk, you guys have made me cry like actual physical tears of joy. My only hope is that with my fics I can return to you guys, like, even /half/ of what you guys give to me.
> 
> On the topic of tears I hope y’all ready 2 shed some toNIGHT (or day or whenever ur readin this time is a construct everything is fake) because when I was writin this… hoo man… I almost cried from the angst. And the aforementioned sappiness too but yeah.
> 
> Warnings: there will be underage drinking (to my fellow emetophobes in the house no mentions of nausea/vomiting because I’m not about that life), mentions of drug use (by name only, nothing explicit), and the mention of minors engaging in sexual activity—an off-screen sex scene, if you will (I’m sorry it just sounded so nice in my head I couldn’t not type it.) If the latter does not suit ur fancy then no fear shakespeare because nothing is described in detail, with the only discussion of it being orders of magnitudes being more tame than a seventh-grade health class.
> 
> Okay with that all said, leggo.

“Has anyone seen Keith?” Pidge asked, her voice fighting a losing battle against the booming bass of a robust household stereo system. “I didn’t catch a glimpse of him when I took a look around,” she continued, leaning back against the wall she, Hunk, and Lance had settled on the minute they’d walked in the party.

“You mean on your trip to the WiFi router?” Lance snorted into his red solo cup, taking a sip of vodka.

Pidge quirked an eyebrow at him, pulling her phone out of her shoulder bag. “Want the password or no?”

“Ooh, give it here!” Hunk exclaimed, bumping his shoulder into Lance’s and nearly knocking him over as he reached out for the phone.

“ _ Jeez _ big fella,” Lance wheezed, gripping Hunk’s sleeve with his free hand for stability, “keep an eye out for innocent bystanders.”

“Sorry Lance.” Hunk winced meekly as Lance let go, straightening himself.

Pidge waved off Hunk’s hand. “Network’s called ‘smart net,’ all in caps. Password’s capital A, M-I-R, nine-nine.”

Lance rolled his eyes. “Please, I could’ve told you that,” he scoffed, pulling out his phone to punch it in. “Oldest siblings  _ always _ get their name in the password.” Unlocking his phone, he caught a glimpse of the lock screen before he could swipe it away, trying to ignore the fresh stab of heartache he felt from seeing the picture of his girlfriend — or rather,  _ ex _ -girlfriend as of tonight.

Ugh, he came to this party tonight so he could forget that, didn’t he?

“Lance.” Hunk elbowed him in the side.

“Hm?” He looked up from his phone (which despite connecting to the network displayed no new notifications) to see Hunk holding out his phone for a selfie. Lance put on a reflexive smile, hoisting his cup in salute to the darkened screen. The flash went off, capturing the slightly washed out image of the three of them against the backdrop of some other family’s photos hung on the walls.

Pidge leaned into Lance’s side once Hunk lowered his arm. “I want to see,” she whined, prompting Hunk to pass her the phone across Lance.

Lance returned to his own phone, figuring he’d wait until Hunk sent it to him for a closer look. He flicked open Instagram, scrolling past post after post of ‘Class of 2017’ graduation pictures. He slumped further into the wall, bringing his cup to his lips once more and trying to keep his expression straight despite the burn against his throat.

“It’s cute,” Pidge decided after a few seconds, reaching around Lance to hand the phone back to Hunk. “Man, it really makes you think, doesn’t it?”

“What does?” Hunk asked, sandwiching Lance yet again as he took it.

“We’ve been friends since middle school, the three of us. And now you two are  _ graduated _ ,” Pidge explained. “I’m not one for that emotional bullcrap, as you’re well aware, but damn does it have me feeling nostalgic.”

“Pidge, don’t even get me started,” Hunk responded, his voice starting to quake. “I’ve already cried, like, three times today.” He clutched Lance’s upper arm, leaning his forehead against his shoulder. “Oh boy, it’s happening. Here come the waterworks.”

Lance paused his scrolling (a little too aware of what lurked not two posts beneath Sammy D.’s ‘finally made it out #grad2k17’) and decided he’d had enough of his phone, pocketing it. 

“Aw buddy, don’t be sad,” he cooed, nudging Hunk affectionately in the gut with his elbow. “You know we’ll stick together forever, right? We’re like the three… the three stooges?” Pidge laughed as Lance furrowed his brow in thought. “No, no I think there’s a better one.” He shrugged. “Ah well, y’know what? I’m stickin’ to it. The three stooges. No matter what changes, we’ll always have each other’s backs,” he declared.

The reassurance must’ve worked; Hunk loosened his grip on Lance’s arm, lifting his head while keeping their sides pressed together. Lance didn’t protest this one bit, appreciating any distraction from the shitty thoughts cycling through his head.

Pidge shot Lance a wry smile. “Are you even remotely aware of who the three stooges were?”

“Of course,” he replied flippantly. “They did like… comedy, or whatever.”

“Have you seen any of the movies?” She challenged.

He screwed up his face. “What does this look like, 1992?” 

His response elicited a hearty laugh from Hunk. “Pidge, it looks like we have to educate this poor young man about the fine art of slapstick comedy,” he declared, slinging an arm across Lance’s shoulders. “It’s high time we had a good old fashioned sleepover.”

Pidge beamed at the prospect. “It could be just like middle school again!”

“Except that we know you’re a girl now,” Lance slipped in before downing the rest of his vodka, nearly spitting it out when Pidge pinched his side. “Woah  _ easy _ , hermanita!” He exclaimed, squirming out of her reach and into Hunk’s side.

“Yep, still exactly like middle school,” Hunk laughed, pulling his arm off Lance.

Lance settled back down once Pidge’s pinching was no longer a threat. _ The three of us, like it’s always been… _ he thought to himself, before his smile faded.  _ So why do I keep looking through the crowd to make it two more? _

His finger tapped restlessly on the outside of his empty cup. “So is this what you guys always do at parties, sit on the side and mooch off the WiFi?” He winced at his own tone, not meaning to make it sound so judgemental.

Hunk shrugged, seemingly unperturbed. “Yeah, pretty much. Sometimes we people-watch, and one time Pidge and I bet on who could find more spare change on the floor — ”

“Which I won, for the record,” Pidge bragged, smirking into her phone screen.

Hunk scoffed. “It’s a lot easier for someone tiny like you to crawl across the floor. So yeah, I will concede that,” he offered faux-graciously.

Lance snorted, half-wishing he’d been privy to that display. “But you guys don’t go around and talk to other people? Never try party games or any of that shit?”

Hunk mulled over that for a moment. “I guess that’s always been yours and Keith’s bag, right? We’re not social like you, or…  _ adventurous _ — ” he put it tactfully “ — like Keith.”

Again, at the mention of Keith’s name Lance finds himself scanning the heads for a familiar mop of black hair.  _ Where the hell did he go? _

“I think the real question is what  _ you’re _ still doing here,” Pidge pointed out. “Usually by now you’ve made your rounds and talked off a dozen ears.”

Lance pursed his lips. “I guess I’m not in the mood tonight, I don’t know. Maybe I’m sophisticated and broody now that I’m a high school graduate,” he fibbed.

“Yeah,  _ that’ll _ be the day,” she cackled.

Lance rolled a subtle ache out of his neck, no doubt the effect of the drink he’d just finished. “Alright, I’m getting a refill, anyone want?” He pushed off the wall and turned towards his two friends. They both shook their heads — which was to be expected, since Pidge was DDing and Hunk had far stricter parents than Lance, but he figured manners never hurt. “Suit yourselves.” He spun on his heel and went in search of alcohol.

* * *

 

Lance drew himself in to weave through the crowd that stretched through the living room cum dining room, sliding through the gaps people left as they danced and conversed, and breathing in the skunky scent of weed as he passed the doorway to the basement. He winced, praying that it wouldn’t stick to his clothes — his parents might be lenient over a little booze but God help him if his mama ever caught a whiff of drugs on him.

He finally squeezed into the far less populated kitchen, making a beeline over to the array of bottles that spread haphazardly along the far countertop. Immediately searching for the bottle of shitty vodka he’d poured from about a half hour ago, he found himself scanning for a sixer of beer as well out of old boyfriend habits ( _ jeez, so much for forgetting about it, Lance _ .) 

Unfortunately, a pack caught his eye before he could tell himself to forget about it. He shook his head to rid it of those thoughts, instead grabbing the slender neck of the vodka bottle he’d come in search of, pouring it into his cup and lamenting all the while how disappointed his abuelita would be at the mere notion that he knew what alcohol  _ was _ , let alone —

“Lance?” A voice called close to his ear as a single finger prodded him in the shoulder, snapping him out of his thoughts. He set the bottle back down before turning to the source, eyebrows shooting up as he laid eyes upon Keith for the first time since they’d arrived.

_ Well, fuck. _

Listen, Lance has long been well aware of how attractive he found guys. What he’d only realised recently, however, that what he felt towards Keith was not ‘man, dudes are hot,’ but in fact ‘man, Keith is hot.’ And not just hot either; every little thing that Keith did seemed to drive Lance  _ insane _ . He originally wrote it off as Keith getting on his nerves, or his natural competitive streak rearing its head, but recent events had made him come to terms with the fact that he had a bit of crush on Keith. Pretty shitty for a guy who’s already dating someone, right?

But that’s the thing: he wasn’t dating anyone anymore, so technically that put this hopeless infatuation in the moral clear now. It was still definitely a bad idea, given Keith was one of his closest friends, not to mention leaving at the end of the summer to never return again, but not an awful thing to daydream about.

That said, it was hard for Lance to regret it too much when Keith’s inquisitive look melted into that warm smile Lance knew well, though he saw it so rarely. “Mind passing me a beer?”

“Yeah, ‘course,” Lance replied, passing one along and remembering about half a second later to relax his own surprised expression into an easy smile.

“I haven’t seen you all night,” Keith commented as he took the bottle in hand and twisted off the cap. He idly twirled the cap between his fingers as he took a sip, Lance silently tracking the motion for a second before he thought to pick up his eyes and reply.

“I’ve been with Hunk and Pidge. What, miss me already?” His lips tugged up in a cocksure grin.

Keith snorted at the suggestion, flicking the cap to send it clattering across the marble. “Didn’t think about that; honestly, it should’ve been my first place to look.”

Lance’s smugness faltered a touch. “Wait, you were looking for me?” His heart gave a sickeningly hopeful flutter that he quickly crushed.  _ Nope, we’re not doing that _ , his logic admonished as he took a drink.

The emphatic denial was half-formed across Keith’s lips before it fell flat with a sigh. “This is really embarrassing, just… promise me you won’t laugh, okay?” He dropped his gaze to the floor, rubbing his arm nervously.

Lance leaned a hip into the counter, his smile dropping quickly in the face of Keith’s apprehension. “I…” 

_ Fuck, do I joke or do I reassure him? C’mon Lance, don’t just stand there, you’ve got to say something! _

“Uhh…”

_ Brilliant, Lance. _

“I don’t usually find you funny when you’re trying to be, anyway. So… I think you’re safe.” He smiled meekly, rubbing at the back of his neck.

Despite Lance’s bumbling, the reassurance still manages to make Keith chuckle — and oh damn, is Lance blushing, or was it the vodka getting to him? Maybe it was just really hot in the kitchen? Whatever the cause, he prayed it wasn’t too evident.

Luckily for Lance and his possible blush, Keith’s eyes were still glued to the floor. He shifted on his feet, steeling himself one last moment before looking up. “Do you have a condom I could borrow?”

Lance’s mind freezes. Crashes. Resets. Takes a half-second to start back up.  _ Told you so _ , it bragged before reminding him that he’s supposed to react.

“Yeah,” he replied, not really thinking about it. “No, yeah,” he repeats with feeling — now that he’s actually processed the question — setting his cup on the counter so he could reach for his back pocket with both hands, “I’ve got you covered.” 

_ Oh my god, did I just say that?! _

“Not like — I mean — ” he floundered, biting his tongue to impede any further betrayal until finally freeing his wallet from his pants, brandishing it close enough to Keith’s face to make him go cross-eyed. “There we go!”

Keith took another drink from his beer as Lance brought the wallet back to him, rifling through crumpled receipts and the odd dollar bill as he fought the urge to fill the silence with some more embarrassing rambling. 

“Thanks,” Keith replied softly. “I don’t ,  uh — I’m not really  _ sure _ I’m going to need it, but I figure it’s better to be prepared though, right?”

Lance nodded, finally pulling out the dark navy wrapper from behind an old gift card. “Who’s the guy?” He tried to keep his tone casual as he put his wallet away.

Keith eyed the condom but didn’t venture to take it, opting instead to lean his elbow onto the counter. “It’s Amir. I guess you guys were right about him still being interested,” he chuckled awkwardly as he scanned the kitchen, eyes pretty much anywhere but back on Lance. “He, uh, invited me up to his room just now, so…” he drew the syllable out, letting the implication hang in the air.

Lance leaned back against the counter, picking his drink up again before holding the condom out to Keith. “Oh yeah. Dude, you’re totally getting some tonight.”

Keith glanced back to Lance, eyes wide. “Really?”

Lance stifled a snort. “Are you serious? I don’t know what excuse he gave you, but there’s literally no other reason he’d want you up there with him if it wasn’t to bang.”

“He said — ” Keith interrupted himself to snatch the condom, quickly stuffing it into his front pocket, “all he told me was he wanted to take it upstairs, and he asked if I was okay with that.”

Lance bit his lip, trying to push out the mental image of what ‘it’ was. Imagining his crush making out with arguably one of the hottest guys in town was not doing good things to his heart. “That’s about as clear as you’re going to get. What did you tell him?”

Keith brought the bottle between both hands, drumming his fingers against it in a quick once-over from index-to-pinky that held an almost musical quality: a crescendo into an abrupt finito. “That I’d meet him by the stairs.”

“Right, stupid question.” Lance chuckled nervously. “I mean why else would you need…” he began to point a finger to Keith’s hand, until he remembered that what he meant to motion towards was now in his pocket. He moved the gesture accordingly, before panicking at the realisation that he was essentially pointing at Keith’s crotch — decidedly  _ not _ what he was trying to imply. He opted to abandon it entirely, running the hand through his hair instead. “… condom,” he croaked, cringing internally at himself.

It was the kind of bashfulness that Lance would’ve lorded over Keith had he been on the other side of things — hell, it was the kind Keith  _ should’ve _ been jeering Lance for right now. But he wasn’t, his lips pursing and his gaze distant before he screwed his eyes shut and tipped back another long drink.

Lance furrowed his brow. “Keith, are you okay?” He turned his body sideways to face Keith better, now noticing an unmistakable tension in his movements. “You know if you don’t want to do this, you don’t have to.”

Keith shook his head as he swallowed. “No, I want to, I do. I just need to build up my nerve a bit.” He worried at his bottom lip, eyes on the beer bottle he juggled between two hands. “It’s to be expected, I mean I’m sure you were too when it was your first.”

_ Oh jeez, this was Keith’s… _ Lance’s stomach churned as he recognised how vulnerable Keith was letting himself be with Lance, finally accepting Lance’s offer for support. He really wanted to do this right, wanted to make Keith’s trust worth his while, but oh god, was Lance scared for him right now: scared he’d regret his decision, scared something might happen to him and Lance wouldn’t be able to help, scared… scared that Keith would never go for a guy like Lance after being with someone like Amir. Terrified, frankly.

But Keith had made his decision. Pennsylvania, not Lance. Amir, not Lance. It was time he accepted that Keith’s heart wasn’t his to give away.

Lance’s mouth had gone dry so he polished off his vodka, distracting himself with the burn. “How much have you had?” He pointed at Keith’s beer.

Keith furrowed his brow. “Uh, this is my first.” He held up the bottle in demonstration before taking another drink.

“What about him?” Lance looked outwards again, nodding into the crowd.

“I don’t think he’s had any.”

“You don’t  _ think _ ?”

Keith scoffed. “I’ve had my tongue in his mouth, so I’m pretty sure I’d know.”

Lance set his jaw, feigning indifference at the assertion. “Alright. You didn’t go into the basement by any chance?”

“What, with the stoners?” Keith huffed. “I don’t live under a rock, I  _ know _ what consent is. We’re both sober and willing, want me to ask him for a photo I.D. too?”

Lance sighed, rubbing his forehead as the alcohol finally started to hum in his head and limbs anew. “I’m sorry, I know you can take care of yourself.” He dropped the hand, looking to Keith with tired eyes. “But you’re my friend, Keith, and I can’t help but worry about you.”

The tension in Keith’s face ebbed away with a sigh, a small smile tugging at his mouth. “It’s okay, I… I get it. Was there anything else, or am I good to… y’know…” He set the beer down on the counter and hooked a thumb towards the front of the house.

Lance swallowed thickly, entertaining for a very, very short moment how effective grabbing Keith and kissing him would be at making him stay. He dug his fingernails into his palms, deciding it was best not to find out.

“Remember to take your time, I guess. If something’s not good for you then say something, you’ve got nothing to prove. And if he doesn’t want to prep or wrap, get out of there.”

Keith nodded, taking a hesitant step backwards. “Thanks.” He took another, slipping his hands into his pockets. “You guys can go ahead without me, by the way. I’ll find my own way home.”

Lance frowned. “No you won’t,” he asserted. “We all came together, and we’re all leaving together.”

Keith bowed his head, feet stilling. “I don’t know how late I’m going to stay, and I don’t want to get anyone in trouble.”

Lance set down his empty cup, quickly eyeing Keith’s half-finished bottle and contemplating finishing it off. Was Keith thinking of staying the night? Lance wouldn’t give him the chance. “We’re waiting. I’m not brave enough to face Shiro after leaving you alone at a party.”

“Well if you change your mind, text me. I’ll be, um, y’know,” he finished lamely before turning around and getting lost in the crowd once more.

Lance groaned as he rubbed a hand across his face, sinking back against the counter and regretting his heart’s terrible timing for the umpteenth time that day. First Plaxum, now Keith, it was like it was  _ trying  _ to get broken. Dropping the hand from his face, he blindly reached behind himself on the counter, fingers brushing against Keith’s bottle before gripping it. He brought it to his lips and knocked back a quarter of the remnants, trying to ignore that Keith’s mouth had just been on it to retain at least  _ some _ modicum of self-respect.

His heart rate swelled as the buzz settled deep in his muscles, the music suddenly getting too loud and completely drowning out his ability to think clearly. He shouldn’t have come out tonight, he admitted to himself all too late. He should’ve told everyone the truth about Plaxum, or at least made up some lie, and stayed in to watch Netflix or cry into a tub of ice cream. Wasn’t that what you were supposed to do after a breakup? Drowning your sorrows into a pint of Ben & Jerry’s sounded infinitely better than repressing them to help the guy you’ve fallen for hook up with some other, way way hotter, guy.

Before he knew it, he’d polished off the rest of the drink — something he didn’t register until he brought it to his lips and not a drop had come out. Tossing it onto the counter behind him, he rubbed his eyes with the heels of his hands, trying to physically push back his tears. He was not going to cry in public, in front of almost his entire graduating class. No way.

“Lance?” A voice cut through the ambient cacophony, and he pulled his hand away to search for the source. He quickly located Hunk, squeezing between a small group of people cluttering the doorway, paling at Lance as though he’d seen a ghost. Quickly stepping into Lance’s personal bubble, he grabbed his arm and started babbling. “There you are — dude, oh my god, we just saw Keith, and you’ll never guess who he — ” he cut his rambling short, his face softening with uncertainty. “Are you okay?”

Lance hadn’t recognised how tight his throat had grown until he opened his mouth to answer ‘yes.’ He shut it and settled for nodding, which didn’t seem to alleviate Hunk’s fears, nor the ache in his chest. 

_ Okay, you can do this, _ he encouraged himself.  _ Just say ‘yeah buddy, absolutely fine, now tell me all about Keith and who he’s with and where you saw them and what you  _ know _ they’re about to do.’ _

He didn’t even manage to get a single word of it out, his face crumpling the moment his mouth opened, choking on a sob instead. Hunk’s face fell as Lance buried his own into his shoulder, and two strong arms braced him against a sturdy chest. Bringing his hands up to grab onto the back of Hunk’s shirt, Lance set his jaw to fight the hiccoughs shuddering through his body, his breath hissing through his teeth as he struggled to find his voice.

“Plaxum dumped me,” he managed, knees weakening with the finality of having said it out loud.  _ She’s gone. I wasn’t enough to make her stay. _

He felt Hunk’s breath hitch, and Hunk pulled away to arms length to give him an incredulous look, eyes shimmering with empathy. “What? When did  _ that _ happen?”

Lance pulled his hands back, using both to wipe his tears. “Today, after grad. She’s moving to Vancouver because her dad works there, they — ” he hiccoughed “ — they were just waiting for her to finish high school.” He took in a shuddering breath, a fresh wave of tears welling up in his eyes. “Shit —I’m sorry.” He rubbed them away and paused to regain a bit of composure, feeling Hunk’s hands give a reassuring squeeze to his arms. “I’m just a fucking mess right now, I probably look like an idiot.”

Hunk shook his head. “It’s okay. Do you want to go outside?”

His immediate thought was  _ yes _ , but he remembered what he’d told Keith about leaving no one behind, as well as the prospect of Keith actually spending the night here. He thus shook his head, attempting to steady himself by leaning back into the counter. “I’ll be fine, you know me.” He sniffed, resisting the childish urge to rub the underside of his dripping nose onto his forearm.

A foreign hand grabbed onto Hunk’s wrist, tugging it away from Lance’s side. Lance and Hunk both turned to it reflexively, finding Pidge frowning up at Lance. “Are you alright, Lance? Did something happen?”

Hunk glanced hesitantly at him, but Lance swallowed down the lump in his throat well enough so as to speak for himself. “Plax and I broke up.” His heart quickened again, but it stung surprisingly less the second time around.

“She’s moving to Canada,” Hunk helped.

Pidge pursed her lips. “Well that seems kind of excessive, Lance doesn’t strike me as the stalker type.”

“Pidge,” Hunk admonished. 

Lance couldn’t help but laugh, the sound caught halfway to a sob and sounding a bit more like a donkey braying than he’d like to admit. “Thanks Pidge, that was almost a compliment,” he joked.

She gave him a sad smile, sidling beside him to wrap her arms around his middle. “I’m sorry, Lance. When’s she leaving?”

He sighed, slinging his arm across her back and leaning a cheek onto the crown of her head. “Tomorrow morning.”

Hunk wrapped his arms around the two of them, Lance curling his own around him to complete the circle. “Man, I guess it really is just us three stooges after all,” he mumbled, dejected.

Pidge chuckled. “Is it official? Are we really sticking with the three stooges of all things?”

Lance shrugged, giving his own quavering laugh. “Well  _ I _ say yes, and my decision is final because it’s your guys’ job to make me feel better tonight.”

Pidge pulled back from the embrace, Lance and Hunk following shortly thereafter. “Need me to drive you home?” She offered.

“Nah, it’s fine.” He waved a dismissive hand at her, swallowing heavily as his emotions slowly began levelling out.

“It’s no problem really,” she insisted, “I’ve already gotten my fill of bad music for the night, and I’m ready for bed.”

Lance bit his lip, looking up and over her head. “We should probably wait up for Keith,” he mumbled, hating how his chest tightened so readily in his already vulnerable state at the thought of him.

Hunk and Pidge exchanged an unsure glance. “Lance,” Pidge spoke cautiously, “I don’t think… Hunk and I saw him go upstairs—” he wished he trusted his voice enough to interrupt her “—so we’re pretty sure he’s spending the night.”

Lance folded his arms across his chest, sinking in on himself as he dropped his gaze to the floor. “I know. I uh… we talked for a bit, before he…” He lifted a hand to gesticulate vaguely upwards.

Hunk gave a thoughtful hum. “So you managed to find him after all?”

Lance shifted on his feet. “Well technically  _ he _ found  _ me _ , but—”

“Wait,” Pidge interrupted, “what do you mean, he found you?”

He glanced back to her, perplexed. “What do you mean, ‘what do you mean?’ He was looking for me, saw me, and talked to me.”

“He was  _ looking _ for you?” Hunk questioned.

Lance pursed his lips. “What, like that’s so hard to believe?” He asked, then quickly backpedalled. “You know what? Never mind. Don’t answer that.”

“What did he want to tell you?” Pidge interrogated, her eyes calculating.

Lance thought back to his conversation, deciding he would definitely not be telling them the truth out of respect for Keith’s trust. “Why the sudden interest in what Keith had to say?” Hunk and Pidge exchanged another meaningful look, and Lance cleared his throat to interrupt. “Would you guys  _ stop _ doing that? What, do all geniuses have, like, mind reading powers or something?”

“We’re just… curious,” Pidge replied, measuring her words. “It seems a bit strange for him to go to you.”

Lance puffed out his chest, smirking arrogantly. “Maybe he was looking for a little last-minute advice on the art of lovemaking.”

Pidge responded with what was probably the most disgusted face she could muster. “Please never speak again.”

He laughed easily, holding his hands out to her. “C’mon Pidgey, it’s a natural part of life! It’s like driving a car—”

“I don’t think I want to hear the rest of that analogy,” she sighed, pinching the bridge of her nose.

“Plus I don’t know how driving a car can be seen as something that’s  _ natural _ ,” Hunk teased, failing to keep his mouth from quirking up.

“Ugh, if you’d let me just finish!” Lance protested, holding a finger up to Hunk. “Fine, it’s like riding a bike—”

“How’s a bike any better?” She snickered.

Lance rolled his eyes, fighting off a grin. “Alright, it’s like riding a dude—” he halted when she whacked him in the stomach, giggling too hard to interrupt with her words again. Her  sentiment infected the other two, all of them taking pause to let their laughter run its course.

“Alright,” Hunk refocused their conversation once he’d regained his breath, “so… we’re staying? Because my curfew’s one, and I’m really not down to start my summer off by getting grounded.”

Lance nodded, reaching for his phone. “I told him we would. He hasn’t texted you guys, right?” He unlocked his screen to find no new notifications again.  _ I should really change that picture _ , he thought, frowning at the image of Plaxum smiling back.

“Nothing,” Pidge confirmed as he returned it to his pocket. She crossed her arms and rolled her neck out. “Do you think they’re done by now?”

The question hung unanswered a few beats, until Lance realised his companions both looked to him expectantly. “What’re you looking at  _ me _ for?” He stiffened.

Hunk shrugged. “You’d know better than us about… this.”

Lance blinked. “Oh. Right. Uh…” His hand immediately went for his phone, but this time he fought the urge. “What time is it?” He asked instead.

“Twelve thirty-four,” Pidge replied.

Lance nodded, sniffing. “And he went up around midnight, right?”

“I think, just about,” Hunk confirmed.

Lance sighed, his feet feeling heavier as he remembered precisely what he was about to face. “I mean it’s going to depend on… a lot of factors,” he explained as best he could while keeping it vague, keeping in mind to respect Pidge’s boundaries despite how often he teased her on the topic, “but I think he might be done soon then. Keith doesn’t seem like a pillow talk kind of guy.”

Hunk nodded. “So..?”

“Let’s go see.” Lance pushed off the counter, taking a second to steady his spinning vision. Once he regained his balance, he led them on wobbly legs back to the front of the house.

* * *

Lance had impeccable timing, because no more than a minute after they’d made it to the front foyer had he seen a light go on upstairs. The sight sent Lance’s pulse jumping, his mind unable to decide what to freak out over.

 _Why did I think this was a good idea again?_ _Why didn’t I just take Pidge’s offer and go home? Is there still time to bolt?_ He quickly glanced at the front door. _Nope, that’d look way too suspicious. Alright Lance, just play it cool. Wait, what do I do with my hands?_ He looked over at Hunk, who was busying himself with his phone. _Can’t do that_ , he frowned. He caught a flicker of movement from up above and panicked. _Fuck fuck fuck f_ — He slapped his palms down on the fronts of his jeans. _It’ll have to do_ , he told himself, praying he looked casual.

Keith came into sight at the top of the stairs, hands buried in his pockets and eyes conspicuously scanning the crowd below him. He tread lightly on his way down, seeming wary of being spotted. He froze when his eyes landed on Lance, Lance feeling his own heart still in his ribcage momentarily at Keith’s astonished expression, before it relaxed into a nervous smile. Letting go of his breath, Lance lifted a hand in a meek hello as Keith reached the bottom step.

“Hey there lover-boy,” Pidge teased from behind Lance, “nice of you to join us.”

Keith flinched, a guilty blush blooming across his face as he settled beside Lance. “O-oh, sorry if I made you wait, you guys didn’t have to.” He bowed his head, rubbing the back of his neck.

Hunk waved it off. “It’s fine, we still have… nineteen minutes, oh man.” What little confidence his tone possessed petered off towards the end, and his hands started fidgeting nervously.

Lance laughed, putting a hand on his hip and waving the other in dismissal. “We’ll make it before curfew, no doubt. The roads’ll be clear this time of night, and I don’t think Pidge has ever heard of a speed limit anyhow.” Pidge punched him hard in the arm, and he yelped. “Ow, rude!”

“If you don’t like how I drive, you can walk home,” she snapped, unzipping her bag and digging through for her keys. 

Lance grumbled something unsavoury as he rubbed the sore spot, eyes falling back to Keith. His gaze was distant, expression unreadable as Lance studied his profile. Lance nudged him with his elbow to get his attention. “Hey.” When he caught Keith’s eye he grinned, waggling his eyebrows. “So..?”

Keith shifted from foot-to-foot. “What?”

“You  _ know _ what,” he scoffed, “c’mon, how was it?”

Keith flushed, dropping his gaze to his shoes. “Oh, i-it, um… good, it was—”

“Hey!” A fifth distinct voice joined the fray as a strong hand came down on Keith’s shoulder, almost causing the poor guy to jump as he clamped his mouth shut. “You guys leaving already?” It continued, Lance tearing his gaze away from Keith to identify Amir looming over them, wrapping an arm across Keith. He wore charming grin that accentuated his strong jawline, and when Lance’s eyes roamed beneath it he could locate a handful of darkened blotches dotting his tanned skin. He hoped his wince was only internal.

“Yep,” Pidge finally replied for them all. “I’ve got an early curfew.”

Hunk shot a discreet but grateful smile her way, while Amir offered a sympathetic pout. “Aw, that’s too bad, I was hoping we’d get the chance to talk more. I’ll see you all around though, right? Look after the school now that we’re gone, yeah Katie?” He smiled at her, and she returned it.

“No promises.” She gave a crooked grin.

“Naturally.” He laughed, then pointed a finger at Hunk. “Hunk, take care of that big brain, I’ll keep an eye out for that spaceship you’re going to build.” He leaned more of his weight into Keith as he dropped the gesture, and Lance felt his jaw tighten—was it possible for someone to be so friendly you wanted to punch them? “Lance?” He turned that smile on Lance, who did his best to keep his own from becoming a snarl. “Give my best to your girl, alright?”

He tried to ignore the almost physical feeling of Hunk and Pidge’s concerned glances. “Of course,” he responded breezily. “She’s sorry she couldn’t come, by the way.”

Amir nodded. “Maybe we’ll see each other in the summer.” He turned to Keith last, leaning over and whispering something secret into his ear.

Keith kept his expression steady, giving nothing away. “Mm-hm,” he hummed in reply, turning his head when Amir’s hand slid against his jaw and pulled him into a kiss. Lance clenched his fists as he politely looked askance, tracking the movement in the corner of his eye as the kiss deepened momentarily before they separated.

Then like a switch had been flipped, the easy smile was back on Amir’s face as he stepped away. “Drive safe, guys.”

“G’nite,” Hunk said politely before turning away, impatiently leading the way towards the car. Pidge followed right behind him. 

Lance himself waited until Keith started to move before tailing them. He took a glimpse of Keith’s downcast face to find his cheeks unmistakably rosy in the low light, a light smile on his face. He felt a simultaneous wave of relief and jealousy wash over him, and he risked a glance back over their shoulders.

It took a split second for Amir’s eyes to meet his own, and Lance nearly vocalised his indignance as he glared down the offered smile.  _ Was he just checking out Keith’s ass?!  _ He turned back around, still glaring as he wrapped his arm across the small of Keith’s back, tugging him against his side and picking up his pace.

“Lance?” Keith asked once they stepped outside, brow knitted in confusion.

“What?” He snapped, still holding fast. This wasn’t weird, he would’ve done the same thing if some dude had been leering at Pidge or Hunk. I mean yeah, the guy had just slept with Keith, but still. Creep.

Keith huffed, turning away from Lance. “Nothing. Forget about it.”

* * *

 

The car was almost totally silent on the drive home, the only sounds worth noting were the hum of the engine, the odd yawn or turning indicator, and the sporadic smack of Keith’s skull against his window.

“How the hell can he sleep through that?” Lance whispered after they ran over a particularly sizeable pothole. He peered at Keith’s expression, still slack as he was blissfully unaware of the permanent brain damage he was undoubtedly causing himself.

“He told me he’s got a thing with sleeping in cars,” Pidge replied from the seat in front of Lance, tone equally hushed. “Matt’s the same way, it’s kind of like driving around the block to calm a crying baby.”

Lance pursed his lips, glancing across to the passenger’s seat. “Is Hunk asleep too?”

“Think so. It’s just you and me right now.”

“At least Hunk had half the sense to cushion his head,” Lance griped.

“What, does it  _ bother _ you that Keith’s hitting his head?” He could hear the smirk in her tone.

“It  _ bothers _ me that it’s making a helluva noise—” They ran over another bump, the resulting bang against the glass being the final straw for Lance. “Alright, for  _ crying _ —” he undid his seatbelt and scooched into the centre seat, gingerly reaching across to Keith’s far shoulder to extract him from his position against the door.

Somehow, despite getting repeatedly bashed into a car door without waking up, Keith stirred the moment Lance tried to move him.

“Mm?” He mumbled as he lifted his head, half-opened eyes taking a few moments to locate Lance. “We home?”

Lance shook his head, adjusting his hand for a firmer grip. “Y’keep hitting your head, dummy.”

He grumbled, rubbing away at the sleep in his eyes. “‘S fine. Can’t stay awake anyway.” 

“I know, just c’mere.” Lance wedged his other arm between Keith’s back and the seat, tugging him closer.

Surprisingly, Keith didn’t resist one bit. He just yawned, turning to face Lance and pulling his knees up so he could rest on his side and bury his face into the crook of Lance’s neck. He hugged his arms around himself and Lance corrected his own to their new configuration, tightening to hold him steady.

“Forgot how touchy you get when you drink,” Keith mused, the thrum of his tenor resonating pleasantly through Lance’s ribcage.

“He’s touchy in general,” Pidge corrected, “just discriminates less when he drinks.”

Keith merely hummed in response, already melting into Lance’s side. With him so close it was easy for Lance to discern almost the precise moment he fell asleep again, a minute or so later. A soft snore rumbling in Keith’s chest confirmed his suspicions, and Lance took the liberty of resting his head against Keith’s, rubbing gentle circles into his lower back with his thumb.

For the first time in weeks, Lance felt grounded under the warm press of Keith against him, the sensation of holding him tight, of not having to fight to keep him there. It felt wrong only insomuch as it felt so  _ right _ , in how every muscle in Lance’s body seemed to unclench, every painful thought evaporating from his mind so long as nothing moved, so long as he held Keith close to his heart.

Therein lay his problem: this relief was temporary, and could only  _ be _ temporary. Keith was fleeting—be it by nature, circumstance, or a combination of both—and Lance’s heart had made the foolish mistake of anchoring itself onto him. Despite that, he knew he couldn’t ever stand in the way of Keith’s happiness, and that if Keith wanted to leave, he’d never stop him for his own selfish desires. Lance would readily quash his feelings for Keith, push them far down and never let them surface, because he… he…

“Oh my god,” Lance breathed, “I’m in love with Keith.”

“ _ WHAT?! _ ” Came the immediate reply from the passenger’s seat. Hunk’s previously sleeping form tensed and he scrambled to twist back, pinning Lance under expectant eyes.

“Shit!” Lance cursed, tightening his grasp as head shot up to the source. His shock quickly turned to dread, glancing down immediately in the fear that Keith woke up, or worse,  _ heard that. _ He held his breath and listened intently, letting it go only when he heard Keith’s soft snore continue undisturbed. He relaxed his grip, snapping his head up once more to glare at the culprit. “Really, Hunk?” He hissed. “What if you woke him up?”

“Lance,” Pidge started, half-turning to gaze at him sidelong, “did we hear you right?”

Lance’s irritation faltered. “I… uh, surprise?” He tried to soften the awkwardness with a nervous chuckle.

Pidge scoffed, turning back to the empty road. “Hardly. If we had any doubts about your crush, they were disproven by how jealous you were acting tonight.”

“But  _ in love _ ,” Hunk countered, still watching him rapturously, “that’s different than just having a crush.”

Lance’s cheeks grew hot. “I  _ never _ had a crush on—” he cut himself short, realising how dangerously loud his voice had grown, “on Keith,” he finished in a whisper.

Pidge gave an impatient huff. “You literally just said—”

“Alright yeah, I know, I was there. Look, I thought I just kind of wanted to  _ bone _ him is all,” Lance insisted. “I didn’t think it’d turn into real feelings, that I’d actually…  _ want _ him.” He sighed, slouching into his seat.

Hunk’s smile stretched. “Oh man, I can’t believe this. Dude, Keith—”

“Keith’s leaving,” Pidge cut him off, “at the end of the summer. You  _ do _ remember that, right Lance?”

His heart dropped impossibly further—the damn thing must’ve been halfway to China at this point. “I know, I didn’t forget,” he muttered, dropping his eyes and ultimately landing back on Keith, watching his chest rise and fall slowly. In, out. In, out.

“Right,” Hunk replied, the defeat in his tone matching Lance’s.

“So I don’t think you should tell him,” Pidge stated, more of an order than a suggestion.

“I wasn’t really planning to,” Lance confessed quietly. Suddenly Keith wriggled in his grip, pawing at Lance’s shirt until his hand found purchase on his far hip. Lance adjusted in turn, pulling him higher onto his chest so he could rest his head at a more comfortable angle again. “Don’t know if I ever could.”

She drummed her fingers against the steering wheel, her edges softening. “I’m sorry,” was all she could reply with.

Lance shrugged. “It is what it is.”

“Doesn’t mean it’s not going to hurt,” Hunk said.

Lance gave a pained laugh. “You got that right.” 

The car rolled to a jerky stop, and Hunk unbuckled himself. “Need to talk?”

Lance sighed. “Maybe, not tonight though.”

Hunk nodded, unlatching the door and stepping out. “Get some sleep, and you can call me in the morning.” Lance hummed his assent. “Night, Pidge.”

“G’nite,” she squeezed in before he shut the door, waiting to see him enter the house before driving off.

Lance half-expected her to press the matter, but it quickly became clear that even if there were something she  _ could _ say to ameliorate the situation, the words were not forthcoming. They were better off with the silence anyway, he figured. He wasn’t really in the mood to look for a bright side, and maybe he could use the time to appreciate that at least one of his loves was still here, for whatever that was worth.

* * *

 

“Wake up.”

“Hm?”

“You’re home.”

Keith was slow to stir, groaning as he pushed off Lance to sit up. Lance dropping his hands to allow him enough space to roll his shoulders out. “‘Kay, ‘m up.”

“Sleep well?” Pidge taunted.

“Shut up,” Keith bit back, unclipping his seat belt.

Lance laughed. “Looks like  _ someone _ woke up on the wrong side of the car.”

“He’s always crabby when he wakes up,” Pidge explained.

“Well you have to wake up to get to your actual bed! Or what, were you expecting me to carry you inside?” he teased.

Keith’s face turned a deep shade of crimson as he glared, wrenching the door open and stumbling out on legs that were probably still asleep themselves.

“Hey c’mon man, wait up! Let me walk you,” Lance insisted, sliding over to follow Keith who mercifully waited at the door, albeit tapping his foot impatiently as he leaned his hip into it.

“Lance,” Pidge warned, slinging an arm over the passenger’s headrest to shoot him a firm look, “remember what we talked about.”

He sighed, giving her a resigned smile. “Yeah, yeah, I’ll behave,” he promised, stepping out onto the driveway.

Pidge turned her gaze onto Keith then. “Make sure you have everything, okay?”

Keith did a quick pat down of his pockets before nodding. “Got it. Thanks for the ride, Pidge.”

She gave him a quick salute with her driving hand. “Anytime, night.”

Keith swung the door shut and turned away on his heel, shooting Lance a questioning look as he led them up the empty driveway. He opened his mouth, no doubt to ask about Pidge’s odd directive just now.

Before he could get a word out, Lance leapt to cut him short. “So! Deets?”

Keith stalled, his mouth still hanging open as he tried to process the question. “Uh, what?”

“Deets, you know,  _ details _ ,” Lance elaborated, stuffing his hands in his pockets. “We both know Pidge doesn’t like hearing about that sort of stuff, and Hunk—bless him for trying—but he gets flustered at the tiniest thing, so I’m all you’ve got.” After a second of silence from Keith, Lance’s confidence dropped like a stone. “I mean, like, you don’t have to, if you’re not comfortable that’s totally—”

“No it’s—I-I mean, I do, thanks,” Keith stuttered, laughing at himself for a second before he continued. “It was good. I think I was expecting it to be a bigger deal, but I’m kind of relieved it wasn’t. I sort of just sat back and let him do his thing.”

Lance gave him a low whistle. “Lucky stiff, I bet that dude looks like one of those Greek sculptures with his shirt off. Did he try any weird shit?”

Keith started up the front steps, the porch light seeming to halo him from Lance’s vantage point. Lance couldn’t tell if it was the beer goggles or rose-tinted glasses, or maybe just someone up above wanting to watch him suffer, but the view of Keith so perfectly illuminated set his nerves aflame in a way the alcohol in his system couldn’t hope to rival.

“I don’t think so?” Keith replied. “It seemed pretty… regular, I guess.” He stopped at the door, stepping aside to allow Lance some space to stand across from him as he pulled out his house key. “But um, it’s normal for it to be a little… awkward, right?” He looked up sheepishly from behind his bangs, fingers fiddling with his key fob. “N-not in a bad way, just like…” He trailed off, chewing his lip.

Lance laughed softly, crossing his arms and leaning against the door frame. “Oh yeah, don’t worry. Sex is about the least sexy thing you can do, ‘s why you’ve got to spend so much time on foreplay. Honestly the trick is to go with it, like, you’ve got to own how silly you feel.”

Keith snorted, smirking. “I bet you’re an expert at that.”

“Of course,” he faux-boasted, “just ask my ex.”

“Your what?” Keith’s hands stilled, his smile fading.

Lance’s mind stalled momentarily. “Right, you weren’t there.” He dropped his gaze to the welcome mat, his shoulder rubbing against the door’s trim as he shifted on his feet. “Y-yeah, she sort of ended things tonight. With me.”

“I never liked her,” Keith declared.

Lance flicked his gaze up, chuckling at Keith’s clenched fists and severe frown. “No it’s fine, we ended it on good terms.”

“Oh.” Keith’s anger dropped immediately, his frown devolving into a pout. “I’m going to miss her then.”

“Don’t I know it,” Lance muttered, rubbing his tired eyes in case they thought of tearing up again.

“Hey,” Keith called softly, placing a cautious hand on Lance’s bicep, “you going to be okay?”

“Yeah, totally,” Lance dismissed, actually half-believing himself for the first time that night. Bringing his hand back down, he gave Keith a weak smile. “It was… she’s moving away in the summer, so we both agreed to end it on grad night.”

Keith nodded, swallowing hard. “Makes sense. Long distance… doesn’t work.” He paused, the hand on Lance’s arm sliding off. “Maybe you guys could stay friends, though.”

Lance’s throat tightened, his gaze roaming across the soft planes of Keith’s skin, catching on the lustre of his eyes under the porch light.

_ Long distance doesn’t work _ , his mind echoed back to him.

“Yeah,” he breathed, trying to keep the tremor out of his voice, “maybe we can stay friends.”

Keith smiled softly; despite himself, Lance fell harder. He uncrossed his arms to wrap them around Keith’s shoulders, and Keith reciprocated by sliding gentle hands around his waist, holding him without once moving to break the moment. Not when the porch light went out, not when Pidge started honking her horn, not until Lance pulled away, whispering a quick thanks under his breath before ducking his head and hurrying back to the car.

**Author's Note:**

> Anyone notice the subtle reference to the song in the fic? That’s the first time I’ve actually ref’d a line from the titular song in this series. I’m not sure how big The Arkells are outside of Canada but like [11:11](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cHcQiEqjtzs) is Jam go listen to it.
> 
> Part two of Canadiana, anyone remember Littlest Hobo? Because cards on the table I hit a writer’s block in the first draft where the only thing my mind would tell me to write was “Keith was like the littlest hobo,” and tbh even in the final draft that section was essentially me saying it not in so many words. That dog made us all feel things don’t deny it.
> 
> Poor Lance didn’t even rly get that turnt, tho to be fair drinking on CNS stimulants (the most common medication type for ADHD—and yes Lance is medicated ADHD in this fic it hasn’t been explicitly stated outside the tags but as someone who’s ADHD and medicated there are Hints I can tell u I put in) can fuc u up sometimes. It’s not as though they interact in any particularly violent way, but sometimes even after one drink ur heart’s like absolutely pounding and it just makes everything uncomfortable. I mean typically if u wait for them to wear off before drinking ur good but sometimes even when u wait it goes funky for no predictable reason. So like… from my firsthand experience just b careful drinking when ur medicated, and know that I don’t condone it—nor am I a medical professional so bls don’t sue me I just write fanfics.
> 
> So wow… only two more parts to go! I’m really excited to share the next two with you guys. The fifth part is one I’ve been planning basically since the beginning, and the sixth I’m having SO much fun coming up with the storyline! It’s shaping up to be both an emotional rollercoaster as well as a silly romp, which honestly is just the best thing to write <3
> 
> Gosh okay I gotta start cutting down on the length of my author’s notes >.>;;;
> 
> Again thank you SO MUCH!!! for sticking with this fic so far <3 If you enjoyed please kudo, comment (even just a keysmash makes my day!), rec, and/or [reblog on Tumblr!](http://noussommeslessquelettes.tumblr.com/post/167135612426/1111-noussommeslessquelettes-voltron) Once again, the next part should (hopefully) be out within a month, so keep an eye out for that ^^


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